The invention relates to a process for stunning livestock, in particular pigs, by means of an electrical current surge which is transmitted briefly via electrodes to the animal to be stunned, and which can exhibit interruptions and is carried out at low frequency.
Such a process is generally known. For example, DE-A- 21 35 900 discloses the application of a current surge which rises at a speed of 20 to 100 volts per millisecond to a voltage of 600 to 700 volts and has a frequency of 50 to 200 Hz.
It is known from the article entitled "Zum Einfluss der elektrischen Betaubung und des Ausblutens auf die Blutergusse in Schweinehalften" by P. T. Resetnikov that problems arise in the stunning of livestock, because internal bleeding occurs in a relatively large percentage of the animals to be stunned, as a result of which the meat of these animals is no longer acceptable for consumption and has to be processed as lower grade meat. In this article, it is stated that the stunning takes place with an alternating current of 50 Hz. This article is published in "Fleisch" 34 (1980) Vol. 4, pp. 70 and 71.
This article refers to a FEOS-U 4 unit which works with high-frequency alternating current. The article discusses research carried out in the USSR.
In the "Mitteilungsblatt" of the Bundesanstalt fur Fleischforschung, Kulmbach, "herausgegeben mit finanzieller Unterstutzung der Forderergesellschaft der Bundesanstalt fur Fleischforschung e.V.", No. 75 of Mar. 1, 1982, a reference is made on page 4937 to "Betaubungsfalle fur Schweine" (stunning trap for pigs), in which an alternating current generator is used with frequencies of 25 Hz or 2000 Hz.
The above-mentioned publications constitute only part of the literature which discusses the problem of electrically stunning livestock and the research carried out to achieve an apparatus with which the stunning current surge no longer produces the disadvantage of internal bleeding.